1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drinking water which possesses nearly the same flavor as milk, emits the odor inherent in soymilk or soybeans only sparingly, and excels in conduciveness to health and a method for the production thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The soymilk which is obtained by immersing soybeans in water and compressing the impregnated soybeans has soybean protein as a main component thereof. Thus, it has been drawing special attention as a food rich in both nutritional value and nutrient and beneficial to health. It has been pointed out nevertheless that the soymilk readily releases such coarse tastes as is associated with astringency and diffuses bad flavor as compared with milk and that it possesses smells such as smell of grass, smell of fish, and smell of withered grass which are peculiar to soymilk (smells of soybeans) and the flavor which is inherent in soybeans (odor of soybeans). Various researches and developments have been continued in search of a method for repressing the smell of soybeans and the odor of soybeans with a view to rendering the soymilk easy to drink. A method for giving the soymilk a heat treatment adapted to inactivate the lipoxygenase present therein, a physicochemical treatment, a microorganic treatment (JP-A-2001-120180), a method for adding an sweetener or a spice, and a flavor improving agent (JP-A-08-173050), for example, have been reported to date. The methods and the treatments mentioned above, however, have not been appreciably disseminated popularly because they take time, necessitate special facilities, and occasionally fail to repress the smell of soybeans sufficiently.
Conditioned soymilk products which are obtained by immersing soybeans in water, compressing the impregnated soybeans thereby forming soymilk, and adding rice oil, sugar, solar dried salt, calcium lactate, emulsifying agent, paste (carageenan), and spice to the soymilk have been also marketed. Since they are widely different in taste from milk and are not fully satisfactory in terms of flavor, it is hardly fair to admit that they have been disseminated popularly.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a health drink which is made easier to drink by repressing the soybean smell peculiar to soymilk and the soybean odor inherent in soybeans and a method for the production thereof.
Another object of this invention is to provide a health drink which is made easier to drink by causing the taste of soybean to approximate closely to the taste of milk and meantime preserving the conduciveness of soymilk to health and a method for the production thereof.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a health drink which is capable of lowering the blood sugar and a method for the production thereof.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a health drink which enjoys good balance between the plant protein and the animal protein.
I, after pursuing a diligent study with a view to accomplishing the objects mentioned above, have acquired a knowledge that by performing a simple procedure of mixing soymilk with egg white, it is made possible to repress so significantly the smell of soybeans peculiar to soymilk and the odor of soybeans inherent in soybeans and the coarse taste associated with astringency as to enable even a person who is allergic to the smell of grass and the astringency and hesitant in drinking soymilk to avoid experiencing displeasure in drinking the soymilk. He has further discovered that by this procedure, it is made possible to obtain a health drink which is capable of lowering the blood sugar. This invention has been perfected on the basis of this knowledge.
Specifically, the objects enumerated above are accomplished by a health drink which is composed of
A. 3-15% by mass of soymilk calculated as a solid content,
B. 0.2-8% by mass of egg white calculated as a solid content,
C. 0.1-5% by mass of a sweetener calculated as a solid content, and
D. the balance of water
(providing that A+B+C+D total 100% by mass).
The objects described above are also accomplished by a method for the production of a health drink composed of (A) 3-15% by mass of soymilk calculated as a solid content, (B) 0.2-8% by mass of egg white calculated as a solid content, (C) 0.1-5% by mass of a sweetener calculated as a solid content, and (D) the balance of water (providing that A+B+C+D total 100% by mass), which method is characterized by stirring till mixture (A) 3-15% by mass of soymilk calculated as a solid content, (B) 0.2-8% by mass of egg white calculated as a solid content, and (C) 0.1-5% by mass of a sweetener calculated as a solid content and thereafter filtering the resultant mixture thereby removing the excess of egg white which has escaped solution.
This invention concerns a health drink which comprises liquid soymilk and egg white. The health drink of this invention is easy to drink as compared with the conventional soymilk because it does not appreciably emit the smell peculiar to soymilk and the odor inherent in soybeans and has the taste approximating closely to the taste of milk.
Further, since the health drink of this invention contains no milk component, it can be used advantageously as a baby food for infants suffering from allergy to milk. Since it is a highly proteinaceous substance, it is expected to serve as liquid food effective for patients who have undergone a surgical operation.
The health drink of this invention can also be expected to find acceptance as a diet drink because the soymilk and the egg white which are essential components thereof both have low calorific values (low fat) and can easily impart a feeling of fullness to users.
The health drink of this invention is suitable for the cure of diabetes because it is effective in lowering the blood sugar level. Further, the health drink to be obtained by this invention can be used as other foodstuffs such as, for example, the substitute for coffee or milk or the raw material for ice cream and soup.